Mossberg reviews Ubuntu

Summary:I've just finished reading a review of an Ubuntu-powered Inspiron 1420N written by mainstream tech journalist Walt Mossberg. His conclusion: "But for now, I still advise mainstream, nontechnical users to avoid Linux."

I've just finished reading a review of an Ubuntu-powered Inspiron 1420N written by mainstream tech journalist Walt Mossberg. His conclusion: "But for now, I still advise mainstream, nontechnical users to avoid Linux."

So, what do I mean when I say Ubuntu is too rough around the edges for average users? Here are some examples.

There is no control panel for adjusting the way the touch pad works, and I found it so sensitive that I was constantly launching programs and opening windows accidentally by touching the thing. Every time the computer awoke from sleep, the volume control software crashed and had to be reloaded.

When I tried to play common audio and video files, such as MP3 songs, I was told I had to first download special files called codecs that are built into Windows and Mac computers. I was warned that some of these codecs might be “bad” or “ugly.”

Playing videos was a bad experience, with lots of flickering and freezing. Oh, and there’s no built-in software for playing commercial DVDs.

To me, most of these issues sound like omissions on Dell's part rather than Ubuntu, and they're all issues that Dell would have had to solve on a Windows-based PC. The touch pad needs a better driver/control app, the volume control software sounds broken and Dell needs to buy bulk licenses for a few commonly used codecs and preinstall them. As to video playback being poor, this has to be a configuration issue or a hardware issue - I've not come across this problem on any Linux install I've carried out. The bottom line is that Dell has failed to deliver a machine that works out of the box. It's not Linux that has failed Mossberg, it's Dell.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology -- whether that be by learning to program, building a PC from a pile of parts, or helping them get the most from their new MP3 player or digital camera.Adrian has authored/co-authored technic...
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All opinions expressed on Hardware 2.0 are those of Adrian Kingsley-Hughes. Every effort is made to ensure that the information posted is accurate. If you have any comments, queries or corrections, please contact Adrian via the email link here. Any possible conflicts of interest will be posted below. [Updated: February 23, 2010] - Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other actual/potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted so far on this blog.